Mrs. Chippy facts for kids
Mrs. Chippy was a brave ship's cat who went on an amazing journey. He sailed with Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew on their Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. This big adventure started in 1914. Sadly, their ship, the Endurance, got stuck in thick ice. It was crushed and destroyed. In 1915, Mrs. Chippy and some of the sled dogs were shot. This happened because the crew knew the animals could not survive the harsh conditions.
Life on the Ship
Mrs. Chippy was a tiger-striped tabby cat. He belonged to Harry McNish, the ship's carpenter. Harry was called "Chippy" because of the "wood chips" he made. So, his cat got the same name.
Soon after the ship sailed for Antarctica, the crew made a discovery. Despite "her" name, Mrs. Chippy was actually a male cat! But the name had already stuck. The cat amazed everyone. He could walk along the ship's narrow guard rails. He did this even when the seas were very rough.
After the ship was destroyed by the ice, the crew faced a tough choice. They knew Mrs. Chippy and five of the dogs would not be able to live. On October 29, 1915, Sir Shackleton wrote in his diary:
This afternoon Sallie’s three youngest pups, Sue’s Sirius, and Mrs. Chippy, the carpenter’s cat, have to be shot. We could not undertake the maintenance of weaklings under the new conditions.
This meant they could not feed or care for the weaker animals.
Harry McNish loved his cat very much. He never forgave Shackleton for having Mrs. Chippy shot. After losing his cat, Harry argued with Shackleton. This went on during the rest of the expedition, which lasted until 1917. Harry did build the boats that helped rescue the crew. But because of his arguments with the captain, he was not given a special award called the Polar Medal.
Memorial and Painting
In 2004, a bronze memorial statue of Mrs. Chippy was placed on Harry McNish's grave. The Antarctic Society of New Zealand gave this statue. It honored Harry's bravery on the expedition.
The painting Mrs Chippy was created by Wolf Howard. It shows the cat "about to be shot." In the background, you can see the crew sending a small boat to get help. The Endurance is stuck in the ice. This painting was part of a punk art show. It was displayed at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool, England, in 2004.
See also
In Spanish: Mrs. Chippy para niños
